Who is Anuj Shrivatri? India’s 100th grandmaster chose chess over software work

Indian chess reached a watershed moment on Sunday when Anuj Shrivatri became the country’s 100th grandmaster, almost four decades after Viswanathan Anand became India’s first in 1988. The 22-year-old from Katni, Madhya Pradesh, achieved this by winning the 7th ASEAN Plus Individual Open Chess Championship in the Philippines. He also became the first player from Madhya Pradesh to win the prestigious title.

Shrivatri’s triumph was particularly notable given the way his campaign began. The International Master lost his opening round encounter but recovered strongly to take seven points from the remaining eight games to finish with seven points from nine rounds. He finished half a point ahead of Vietnam’s Nguyen Duc Hoa, and the win also secured him the outright Grandmaster title.

Unlike the conventional route, which requires players to reach three Grandmaster standards in at least 27 games and achieve a FIDE rating of 2,500, the Championship offered a direct route to the title under special conditions approved by FIDE.

The legendary Anand made his way to X on Sunday to congratulate Anuj. Screengrab by X

Born in 2004, Shrivatri became interested in chess as a seven-year-old in 2011. Hailing from Katni, he was introduced to the game by his father Ashok Shrivatri, who himself was fascinated by chess but could not pursue it seriously. VK Tiwari was his first coach and played an important role in shaping his understanding of the game. He subsequently trained under several coaches, including Niklesh Jain, who became an early mentor.

Shrivatri was also an academically accomplished student. He graduated with a BTech from Lovely Professional University specializing in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning before working as a software engineer in a German company.

However, a promising career in technology was not enough to keep him away from the chessboard.

Shrivatri turned down the opportunity to work from the German firm’s base in Germany and pursue chess full-time, reports The Indian Express. His father, Ashok, told the publication that balancing demanding software work with the eight to nine hours of daily chess training required to compete at the highest level was difficult.

The family firmly stood by his decision. Ashok, a teacher, and his wife have made significant financial sacrifices over the years to support their son’s tournament journeys. They often dipped into their savings to ensure it could compete internationally.

A MILESTONE FOR INDIAN CHESS

Shrivatri’s success is significant beyond his personal journey. India had its first grandmaster in Anand in 1988 and it took 38 years for the country to reach triple figures. The latest milestone also underscores the growing depth of Indian chess, with several young players making international appearances.

For Madhya Pradesh, however, the success has an additional meaning. After years without a grandmaster, the state finally has its first, courtesy of a player who chose to follow his passion over a conventional career.

– The end